Firefighters who have been working tirelessly to contain wildfires in Wyoming may have just gotten some unexpected assistance. Turns out that Mother Nature decided to step in and help with the wildfires that have been wreaking havoc across the state.
Mother Nature Steps In To Help With The Wyoming Wildfires
Getty image by Massimo Ravera
I think at this point, firefighters would take any help that they can get. The weather in late August is typically dry and hot, perfect for turning grasslands into a blazing inferno. However, Wyoming can expect some unusually cool and wet weather in the upcoming week — a small blessing for the state.
Cowboy State Daily's meteorologist, Don Day, spoke on the matter. "We're extremely fortunate," he claimed. Then, he pointed out that the coming weather should bring cool weather, clouds, and high humidity. "The weather is going to help more than it's going to harm," he argued, "and it's going to help quite a bit if they can get some of those heavy rains." While most people perform a rain dance to ward off showers, firefighters near the Willow Creek and Dollar Lake fires are rejoicing. Both of those Wyoming wildfires were discovered late last week and unfortunatley grew rather quickly. Now, those fires cover thousands of acres.
Details On The Fires
The outlet shares that the Willow Creek Fire "exploded to more than 3,800 acres by Saturday evening." The event forced the closure of U.S. Highway 89 for a specified period; however, it has since reopened. Firefighters have the fire about 12% contained. Although there has been decent management of one of the Wyoming wildfires, the other is running out of control. The Dollar Lake fire is currently considered 0% contained and is burning across "an estimated 11,510 acres." Additionally, it is continuing to spread at a rapid pace. Luckily, the Green River is keeping it somewhat contained.
The upcoming weather brings those working against the flames some peace of mind. Up until recently, the weather has been working against them, in some cases directly contributing to the fire's growth. Cool weather and some rain are sure to lift spirits and dampen some of the fire. However, they are not out of the woods yet. One thing that firefighters need to be wary of is the wind. Regardless, the chances of rain are relatively high, meaning that the chances of these fires subsiding also increase. This is excellent news for all.
